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Thread: Quick check - Airlink BMU - which one?

  1. #1
    Join Date: Jan 2008

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    Default Quick check - Airlink BMU - which one?

    I've a 500VA Airlink atm which I bought used from ebay - and it's bloody marvellous.

    But thinking of upping it to a 2000VA or 3000VA model.

    Sensible?
    Which one? - any gains from 3kva over 2kva when kit is using far less than either?
    With conditioning or unconditioned?

    Ta


    (I'm sure this has been covered elsewhere - but there's about 10000 pages on the forum about it )
    .

  2. #2
    Join Date: Aug 2008

    Location: Suffolk, UK

    Posts: 1,473
    I'm Paul.

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    You could phone Airlink and ask to speak to someone in Technical and tell them want you want to do and if you have any specific issues you want to address using the BMU. One big unit may be the way to go, or it may be better to have smaller units and segregate some pieces of hifi from each other, say those with SMPS and those with linear. Filtering is good but differential noise is dumped onto the mains ground, so they may be able to advise the best way forward for you.
    ~Paul~

  3. #3
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

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    Hi Jerry,

    The higher the KVA rating the lower the thempedance (so they say), so 3KVa is the one Id go for.
    Might not be night and day but why not?

    Also, I’d go for unconditioned as the balanced mains benefits are seperate from conditioning “benefits”, and any power conditioner Ive tried has affected the dynamics in amps.
    Based on my own experience, I would tell anyone to stay away from mains conditioners.

    If going for the hardwired bmu version, pay attention the to electrical safety aspects mentioned, and get a DC blocker fitted too while the works being done.


    Hope this helps.
    Last edited by Gazjam; 20-01-2018 at 09:10.
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  4. #4
    Join Date: Jan 2008

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    Thanks Gaz
    Unconditioned 3kva non-hardwired sounds like the way to go for me.

    Thanks Paul
    Interesting point about using more than one.
    I'll try using the 3kva for the power amps and the old 500va for DAC etc.
    .

  5. #5
    Join Date: Jan 2009

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    Jerry, if you do a search for balanced mains and me you should find the unit I have - which is what you are describing.
    Account Deleted

  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2008

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    Quote Originally Posted by YNWaN View Post
    Jerry, if you do a search for balanced mains and me you should find the unit I have - which is what you are describing.
    Thanks Mark
    I tried that search and failed to come up with anything useful!
    .

  7. #7
    Join Date: Aug 2008

    Location: Suffolk, UK

    Posts: 1,473
    I'm Paul.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jandl100 View Post

    Thanks Paul
    Interesting point about using more than one.
    I'll try using the 3kva for the power amps and the old 500va for DAC etc.
    SMPSs have filters built into them but these are to try to stop noise from the supply getting onto the mains, not clean the mains going into the supply. They do achieve this, but not only to a level that is required buy the emission regs, and I suspect that cheap SMPSs don’t meet this. To isolate and clean your mains just to connect equipment that then pollutes it is a bit counterproductive, so make sense to try to isolate anything that could put noise on to you cleaned mains.
    ~Paul~

  8. #8
    Join Date: Apr 2008

    Location: Warrington

    Posts: 3,451
    I'm Neil.

    Default Quick check - Airlink BMU - which one?

    The bigger the transformer the more likely you will get unit hum. They are also big heavy ugly units. When I used balanced mains I used a 2kva unit, which is rated at 8.6 amps continuous current, more than enough. 500va should be used for sources and pre, but not power amps.

    I used the hardwired version straight into a 6 way Olson mains block, the Airlink BPS2020.

    Interestingly this unit has the same spec that I got fitted to mine a few years ago i.e. an RCBO on the output. Guess a lot of us asked. :P
    Mana Acoustics Racks / Bright Star IsoNodes Decoupling >> Allo DigiOne Player >> Pedja Rogic's Audial Model S DAC + Pioneer PL-71 turntable / Vista Audio phono-1 mk II / Denon PCL-5 headshell / Reson Reca >> LFD DLS >> LFD PA2M (SE) >> Royd RR3s.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    Wouldnt suggest a BM unit without a DC blocker in there somewhere as yes, they can hum.
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  10. #10
    Join Date: Apr 2008

    Location: Warrington

    Posts: 3,451
    I'm Neil.

    Default Quick check - Airlink BMU - which one?

    On current rating, a Krell KSA-100, 100W of pure class A, draws 5.8 amps at the wall, which is about as extreme as it gets. Normal entire setups are drawing way less, well under 3 amps.
    Mana Acoustics Racks / Bright Star IsoNodes Decoupling >> Allo DigiOne Player >> Pedja Rogic's Audial Model S DAC + Pioneer PL-71 turntable / Vista Audio phono-1 mk II / Denon PCL-5 headshell / Reson Reca >> LFD DLS >> LFD PA2M (SE) >> Royd RR3s.

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